Asia/Pacific News
Teekay Launches LNG Ship with "the Lowest Unit Freight Cost in the World Fleet"
Canada-based Teekay Corporation (Teekay) says last month in South Korea, it launched a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier that is "the most efficient LNG ship on the water with the lowest unit freight cost in the world fleet."
The Creole Spirit was floated out on May 29 at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard, where it will spend the next eight months being outfitted in order to transport up to 174,000 cubic metres of LNG.
Creole Spirit is Teekay's first M-type electronically controlled gas injection (MEGI)-powered vessel.
Teekay notes that the most efficient Dual Fuel Diesel Electric propulsion systems consume about 125 to 130 tonnes of fuel daily including sea margin, but MEGI vessels such as Creole Spirit consume only 100 tonnes.
The vessel is on charter contract with Cheniere and is expected to enter service early 2016.
Teekay credits the MEGI two stroke engine technology provided by MAN Diesel for "driving a step change in global LNG vessel efficiency," and the reduced number of cylinders, fewer electrical systems, and a passive partial reliquefaction system further improves ship efficiency and reduces unit freight cost.
Teekay's goal to put such M-type vessels into service dates back to 2012, when it ordered two fuel-efficient LNG carriers with an option for three more vessels from DSME.
